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Monday, December 20, 2010

Kenya the region's learning centre for aquaculture in East Africa

Kenya is increasingly becoming a learning centre for development of aquaculture in East Africa. Under the Economic Stimulus Programme, some Ksh3 billion (US$37.5 million) has been put into the sector creating what has become a case study as the world struggles with dwindling fish stocks amid growing demand.

Addressing the Lake Naivasha Basin Investment Conference in Mwanza, Tanzania, Harrison Charo-Karisa, the chairman of Aquaculture Development Working Group and coordinator aquaculture research with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) disclosed that in the 2009/10 financial year, the government injected Ksh 1.12 billion (US$14 million) into implement the Fish Farming Enterprise Productivity Economic Stimulus Programme.

Under the programme, a national aquaculture suitability appraisal was conducted and suitability maps developed for each of the 210 constituencies, and over 9.5 million hectares of land was found highly suitable for aquaculture. Read more..